Girona has sold its best player last season, Artem Dovbyk. The top scorer of La Liga last season officially moved to AS Roma. I don't know what Girona management is thinking. Whether it is Artem Dovbyk's choice or a business done by Girona management. But certainly Girona will have difficulties this season. I doubt they can perform as well as last season. Last season they managed to become one of the title contenders. It seems that Real Madrid, Atletico and Barcelona will return to being the top three in La Liga.
In addition, in the pre-season match against Newcastle yesterday, Girona lost badly with a fairly large score without reply so that at least it can also be a reflection that Girona this season may not be as competitive as last season. However, I also will not take this as a decision that Girona will really be a weak team this season in La Liga because Girona could have another strategy after selling the player to AS Roma. Although for now there has been no significant change in the Girona camp itself.
That loss to Newcastle before the season is a wake-up call, no doubt about it. The success of last season doesn't mean anything for this season. Fixing things is what pre-season is for, not winning prizes, but the score is very clear. The sale of Dovbyk to Roma leaves a huge hole. He scored the most goals for them and led their attack. Girona needs to change and come up with new ways to score. Michel needs to figure this puzzle out quickly
Newcastle and Girona are very different from each other. They were both in the same spot in the league, but Newcastle has a lot of money, and Eddie Howe has been building his team for years. It is a different animal. It's a whole new level in the Champions League. Girona has to be very smart. It's sad to lose Dovbyk, but it's not the end of the world. Michel is a good boss. He'll figure it out